The Spice House (and another free promo too!) :<)

Don't you just love when you unexpectedly find something exceptional online? :<)

A few weeks ago, I was doing an online search for "organic file powder" to add to a vegetable gumbo recipe that I was working on.

Not only was file powder not available anywhere I looked locally; but finding organic file powder (organic always being my preference) was just another bonus, when I clicked through to:

The Spice House.

Established in 1957, The Spice House carries a wide variety of:

Top-quality herbs, spices, unique seasoning blends, kitchen accessories, gluten-free products, books and lots of great gift ideas too.

In addition to their attractive site, they also have 5 retail locations in the US in: Milwaukee and Illinois.

To backtrack a minute re: the file powder, in case you are not familiar with this product, it is an essential ingredient in true southern style gumbo.

Gumbo file powder is an essential ingredient when cooking authentic Creole or Cajun cuisine. Gumbo file powder is the powdered leaves of the sassafras tree. When ground, they have a rich, cooling smell, reminiscent of eucalyptus crossed with juicy fruit gum. 

A little goes a long way and file powder should be added to gumbo close to the end of the cooking process, for best results. A 1/2 C. shaker jar of Organic File Powder is only $4.49 at the Spice House, so very reasonably priced too.

I took a good long browse over at their site, after finding the file powder and was amazed and delighted to find all kinds of culinary treats, that I wasn't expecting, including this amazing mixed herb blend:

 Sunny Paris

Sunny Paris is an unique seasoning blend that's rich in very expensive freeze-dried shallots, which provides a "salt-like satisfaction" to the taste buds. Add in the Mysore green peppercorns, top-quality French herbs and a blend of premium seasonings and it's no surprise that this blend has a loyal following with many of their customers.

Ingredients: Hand mixed from: freeze-dried shallots, ground Mysore green peppercorns, dill weed, freeze-dried scallions, French basil, French tarragon, French chervil, finely minced parsley flakes.

This is a seasoning blend that can be used on all kinds of savory dishes.

 I tried it recently on my Toaster Oven Focaccia and loved it!

If you like shallots and/or onions and scallions, you will love this versatile seasoning blend!

 In addition to adding it to main and vegetable dishes, I like to add a sprinkle of Sunny Paris to top omelettes. Looks so nice too, it has a vivid green color.

Spices and herbs can add so much to all kinds of recipes.

I love to experiment with all kinds of spice and herb combos. It's great to come up with something new, that adds that "just right finish" to a recipe.

Using premium spices and herbs like those available at The Spice House can make a big difference how a recipe turns out. You can take an ordinary dish and turn it into something special, just by adding the right combination of quality spices and herbs.

Keep in mind that any spice or dried herb loses it's flavor in a relatively short period of time. If you don't use a particular spice or herb on a regular basis, buy small quantities to insure optimal flavor.

And if you haven't used a particular herb or spice in a 12 month period, it's probably time to discard it and buy fresh.

 I use a LOT of herbs and spices in my cooking, so that is a problem I seldom encounter. :<)

If it's time to give your own spice/herb collection a purge, perhaps time to restock a particular spice/herb or if you are looking for a new seasoning blend to perk up your meals, check out:

 The Spice House. 

I am so happy I found them via my initial file powder search. Their products are top-quality and reasonably priced too.

Another perk, excellent customer service too. All my questions were answered promptly and completely, by their knowledgeable and friendly staff.

***

As for the FREE PROMO, coming up this weekend: August 31-Sept. 1,  my new cookbook:

The Groovy Green Kitchen (Volume 1) Weeknight Veggie Slow Cooker

will be available as a free Kindle download at Amazon.com!

Stop by then to get a free copy and do share this free promo with your friends and family too.

And if you were tempted by the photo above for the Toaster Oven Focaccia, it's one of many side dish recipes that are included in this book.

Quality spices and herbs go hand in hand with superior cooking results. You really can't have one without the other. ;<)

Stop by The Spice House if you love (or even just like) to cook! You'll be glad you did.

Overall rating for this company: Excellent. 5 out of 5.